Returning students said 10 of Kankara boys still with kidnappers - Garba Shehu

The presidency has again stated that out of the over 300 students abducted by suspected bandits in Kankara local government area of Katsina state, only 10 students are still in the den of the kidnappers.

Garba Shehu, senior media and publicity aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, made this confirmation in a tweet on Monday, December 14, amid national outrage over the abduction the students on Friday, December 11.

Shehu said the students who have returned told the military source that 10 of their colleagues are still with the kidnappers, maintaining the position which he earlier made in an interview with BBC.

He, however, said the claim "still needed to be verified" as there are discrepancies in the number of the abducted students and those who have been successfully rescued.

Garba Shehu also said parents have been contacted for information about their children. He further added that "forests and neighbouring villages are being searched in a joint effort to rescue the kidnapped students.

"Some of the returning students debriefed by the military disclosed that 10 of their colleagues were taken by the bandits. As I said to the BBC, that still needed to be verified.

"Of course, this is different from saying that all the others had been accounted for. The forests and neighbouring villages are being searched and parents are being contacted for information about their children."

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that as anger continues to trail the abduction of over 300 students in Katsina state, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) threatened to stage a protest to Daura, the hometown of th president.

Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the spokesperson of the coalition, made this known on Monday, December 14, amid a vortex of reactions over the recent blow on the security of the country.

Suleiman said there will be a protest march to Daura while the coalition's Kano state chapter would also embark on a long trek from Dambatta.